Let's Talk Cyclecars

This thread was started 16 years ago on December 7, 2007 by Dave...Big Cheese. I'm sure it's gone a different direction than he intended.

13,079 replies or posts and 3,118,224 views. When you google search "cyclecars" this comes up as one of the first results.

 

Heres a load of French cyclecars i found. I,m sure a few might have been posted before.

 

1908 Martini team photo

 

Random photos

 

Great. I've downloaded many of his drawings and fabulous photo work.

 

The Tempo 3 wheel vans are interesting. Morgan attempted it but it was not successful due to the single rear wheel. The wheel not only got in the way of the cargo area but wouldn't take the load.

 

Black BNC

 

GN at Angouleme Circuit Des Remparts

 

You don't wear loose leg pants driving that car.

 

Louse cyclecar from Canada. Found on Prewar.com

 

Baughan cyclecar

 

I can't tell for sure if that is a JAP engine but I know they had those finned alum. coolers over the valves on their side valve engines.

 

I believe you are correct, sir.
"In the 1920s, he had made his own first four-wheel cyclecar, powered by an air-cooled JAP V twin. Asked by fellow competitors to make them a similar machine, he productionised it through use of a JAP or water-cooled Blackburne V-twin, of either 998 or 1097 cc." (Wikipedia)

 

Do you know who owns it? Tank looks almost identical.to that on Richard Scaldwell's GN Map.

 

Sorry, I don't know who owns it. The seat also looks quite similar.

 

I believe it belongs to New Zealander Louis McNair. I found this on another site:
"Having now been in the U.K. for 3 years my ideas and inspirations have changed slightly from the wooden chassis cyclecar I had originally intended. I’ve been very lucky to get quite involved in the vintage racing scene over here and have made some very good friends because of it. A GN cycle car was always the dream although with none available in NZ to look at and the closest example being in Aus it was quite hard to fathom coming up with one. Since being over here I’ve managed to collect enough GN parts to put together this which is my take on the Hillclimb special concept of the 20s-30s. Going to all the swap meets in the calendar i managed to get hold of all the other groovy bits and pieces that I needed for the build.

The defining feature of a GN is its chain drive transmission and solid back axle. 4 different ratios with dog selection. An incredibly simple but extremely effective system with large scope for easily changing ratios. Normally on a GN these chains are on the back axle but on this car I’ve moved them forwards so they are under your legs, this means you can have a low down far back seating position that you can’t get with the chains on the axle. Of course It needed a name to get the poms scratching their heads...."

 

Thanks for posting this!

 

Amazing build.

 

Hinstin CC1 1920

 

Bugatti Type 13

 

Sima Violet

 

'schmitts racing. who knew?

 

Slow motion racing??!!

 

'A. Machin driving an Austin 7, AMSC Standing 1/4 Mile' [1946] - George Thomas photo, State Library of Victoria

 

Louis' father Robert built an equally fascinating Riley 9 fitted with Gypsy major aero engine - covered in another thread on the HAMB. We are hoping Louis brings Katipo back to NZ but there are few events down here worthy of such a machine.

 

That Austin 7 on the standing 1/4 mile would have taken an eternity, was it timed using a calendar?
Matthew

 

LOL. Would probably beat my Morgan.

 

I attended Vintage Torque Fest in 2019 (Dubuque, IA). A guy brought his cyclekart and it was a hit. This was the first time I've seen one and I was fascinated. What a great looking machine. He said he races this however, they are not as common in the Midwest as they are on the east and west coasts.